[IMPORTANT] Use TaskCreate to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI MUST ask user whether to skip.

Quick Summary

Goal: Refine requirements into actionable user stories with BDD acceptance criteria and business rule traceability.

Workflow:

1. Extract Business Rules — Locate feature docs, extract BR-{MOD}-XXX rules, reference in stories
2. Investigate Entities — Load .ai.md companion files, extract domain model and query patterns
3. Write User Stories — Use "As a / I want / So that" format, validate with INVEST criteria
4. Define Acceptance Criteria — BDD format (GIVEN/WHEN/THEN), gap analysis for missing scenarios

Key Rules:

• Always reference existing business rules from docs/business-features/ before creating new ones
• User stories must pass INVEST criteria (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable)
• Include entity context and related domain model in every story
• MUST include story_points and complexity in all PBI/story outputs (see .claude/skills/shared/estimation-framework.md)

Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).

• docs/project-reference/domain-entities-reference.md — Domain entity catalog, relationships, cross-service sync (read when task involves business entities/models) (content auto-injected by hook — check for [Injected: ...] header before reading)

Business Analyst Assistant

Help Business Analysts refine requirements into actionable user stories with clear acceptance criteria using BDD format.

Business Rules Extraction (Project Domain)

When refining domain-related PBIs, automatically extract and reference existing business rules.

Step 1: Locate Related Feature Docs

Dynamic Discovery:

1. Run: Glob("docs/business-features/{module}/detailed-features/*.md") for feature docs
2. Or: Glob("docs/business-features/{module}/detailed-features/**/*.md") for nested features
3. For AI companion files: Glob("docs/business-features/{module}/detailed-features/*.ai.md")

From PBI frontmatter or module detection:

1. Check module field
2. Identify related feature from related_features list
3. Read discovered feature documentation

Step 2: Extract Existing Business Rules

From feature doc "Business Rules" section:

• Format: BR-{MOD}-XXX: Description
• Example: BR-GRO-001: Goals must have measurable success criteria
• Note conflicting rules if found

Step 3: Add to User Story

Include section:

## Related Business Rules

**From Feature Docs:**

- BR-GRO-001: Goals must have measurable success criteria
- BR-GRO-005: Only goal owner and manager can edit progress

**New Business Rules (if applicable):**

- BR-GRO-042: {New rule description}

**Conflicts/Clarifications:**

- {Note any conflicts with existing rules}

Token Budget

Target 8-12K tokens total (validated decision: prefer completeness):

• Module README: 2K tokens
• Full feature doc sections: 3-5K tokens per feature
• Multi-module support: Load all detected modules (may increase total)

Entity Domain Investigation

When refining domain-related PBIs, investigate related entities using .ai.md files.

Step 1: Load AI Companion File

Glob("docs/business-features/{module}/detailed-features/*.ai.md")

Select file matching feature from PBI context.

Step 2: Extract Domain Model

From ## Domain Model section:

• Entity inheritance: Entity : BaseClass
• Property types: Property: Type
• Navigation: NavigationProperty: List<Related>
• Computed: Property: Type (computed: logic)

Step 3: Correlate with Codebase

From ## File Locations section:

1. Read entity source file
2. Verify properties match documentation
3. Note any undocumented properties (flag for doc update)

Step 4: Identify Query Patterns

From ## Key Expressions section:

• Static expressions for common queries
• Validation rules with BR-* references

Step 5: Add to User Story

Include entity context:

## Entity Context

**Primary:** {Entity} - {description}
**Related:** {Entity1}, {Entity2}
**Key Queries:** {ExpressionName}
**Source:** {path}

This ensures implementation uses correct entities and patterns.

Core Capabilities

1. Requirements Refinement

• Transform vague requests into specific requirements
• Identify missing information and ambiguities
• Document assumptions and constraints

2. User Story Writing

Format

As a {user role/persona}
I want {goal/desire}
So that {benefit/value}

INVEST Criteria

• Independent: No dependencies on other stories
• Negotiable: Not a contract, can be refined
• Valuable: Delivers user value
• Estimable: Can be sized
• Small: Fits in one sprint
• Testable: Has clear acceptance criteria

3. Acceptance Criteria (BDD Format)

Scenario: {Descriptive title}
  Given {precondition/context}
    And {additional context}
  When {action/trigger}
    And {additional action}
  Then {expected outcome}
    And {additional verification}

For Project Domain:

1. Reference existing test case patterns from feature docs
2. Use TC-{MOD}-{FEATURE}-XXX format (e.g., TC-GRO-GOAL-001)
3. Include Evidence field: file:line format
4. Example from GoalManagement feature:
   Copy

   TC-GRO-GOAL-001: Create goal with valid data
   GIVEN employee has permission to create goals
   WHEN employee submits goal form with all required fields
   THEN goal is created and appears in goal list
   Evidence: goal.service.ts:87, goal.component.ts:142
   

4. Business Rules Documentation

Rule Format

BR-{MOD}-{NNN}: {Rule name}
IF {condition}
THEN {action/result}
ELSE {alternative}
Evidence: {file}:{line}

5. Gap Analysis

• Current state vs desired state mapping
• Identify process improvements
• Document integration requirements

Context Validation (Project Domain)

Before finalizing user story:

Cross-Reference Check

• Business rules don't conflict with existing BR-{MOD}-XXX rules
• Test case format matches existing TC-{MOD}-{FEATURE}-XXX patterns
• Entity names match those in .ai.md files
• Evidence format follows file:line convention

Documentation Links

Add to user story:

## Reference Documentation

- Feature Doc: `docs/business-features/{module}/detailed-features/{feature}.md`
- Related Entities: `docs/business-features/{module}/*.ai.md`
- Existing Test Cases: See feature doc Section 15 (Test Cases & Scenarios)

If conflicts found, note in "Unresolved Questions" section.

Workflow Integration

Refining Ideas to PBIs

When user runs /refine {idea-file}:

1. Read idea artifact
2. Check for module field in frontmatter
3. Load business feature context if domain-related
4. Extract requirements
5. Extract existing BRs from feature docs
6. Identify acceptance criteria using TC patterns
7. Create PBI with GIVEN/WHEN/THEN format
8. Save to team-artifacts/pbis/

Creating User Stories

When user runs /story {pbi-file}:

1. Read PBI
2. Break into vertical slices
3. Write user stories with AC
4. Ensure INVEST criteria met
5. Include related BRs
6. Save to team-artifacts/pbis/stories/

Templates

User Story Template

---
id: US-{YYMMDD}-{NNN}
parent_pbi: '{PBI-ID}'
persona: '{Persona name}'
priority: P1 | P2 | P3
story_points: 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 21
complexity: Low | Medium | High | Very High
status: draft | ready | in_progress | done
module: '' # Project module (if applicable)
---

# User Story

**As a** {user role}
**I want** {goal}
**So that** {benefit}

## Acceptance Criteria

### Scenario 1: {Happy path title}

```gherkin
Given {context}
When {action}
Then {outcome}
```

Scenario 2: {Edge case title}

Given {context}
When {action}
Then {outcome}

Scenario 3: {Error case title}

Given {context}
When {invalid action}
Then {error handling}

Related Business Rules

• BR-{MOD}-XXX: {Description}

Out of Scope

• {Explicitly excluded item}

Notes

• {Implementation guidance}

---

## Elicitation Techniques

### 5 Whys
1. Why? → {answer}
2. Why? → {answer}
3. Why? → {answer}
4. Why? → {answer}
5. Why? → {root cause}

### SMART Criteria for Requirements
- **S**pecific: Clear and unambiguous
- **M**easurable: Can verify completion
- **A**chievable: Technically feasible
- **R**elevant: Aligned with business goals
- **T**ime-bound: Has a deadline or sprint

---

## Output Conventions

### File Naming

{YYMMDD}-ba-story-{slug}.md {YYMMDD}-ba-requirements-{slug}.md

### Requirement IDs
- Functional: `FR-{MOD}-{NNN}` (e.g., FR-GROW-001)
- Non-Functional: `NFR-{MOD}-{NNN}`
- Business Rule: `BR-{MOD}-{NNN}`

### AC IDs
- `AC-{NNN}` per story/PBI

### Test Case IDs (Project)
- `TC-{MOD}-{FEATURE}-{NNN}` (e.g., TC-GRO-GOAL-001)

---

## Quality Checklist

Before completing BA artifacts:
- [ ] User story follows "As a... I want... So that..." format
- [ ] At least 3 scenarios: happy path, edge case, error case
- [ ] All scenarios use GIVEN/WHEN/THEN
- [ ] Out of scope explicitly listed
- [ ] Story meets INVEST criteria
- [ ] No solution-speak in requirements (only outcomes)
- [ ] **Existing BRs referenced** (if domain-related)
- [ ] **TC format matches feature docs** (if domain-related)
- [ ] **Entity names use domain vocabulary**

---

## Post-Refinement Validation (MANDATORY)

**Every refinement must end with a validation interview.**

After completing user story or PBI refinement, conduct validation to:

1. Surface hidden assumptions
2. Confirm critical decisions
3. Identify potential concerns
4. Brainstorm with user on alternatives

### Validation Interview Process

Use `AskUserQuestion` tool with 3-5 questions:

| Category        | Example Questions                       |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Assumptions     | "We assume X. Is this correct?"         |
| Scope           | "Should Y be explicitly excluded?"      |
| Dependencies    | "Does this depend on Z being ready?"    |
| Edge Cases      | "What happens when data is empty/null?" |
| Business Impact | "Will this affect existing reports?"    |

### Document Validation Results

Add to user story/PBI:

```markdown
## Validation Summary

**Validated:** {date}

### Confirmed Decisions
- {decision}: {user choice}

### Concerns Raised
- {concern}: {resolution}

### Action Items
- [ ] {follow-up if any}

When to Flag for Stakeholder Review

• Decision impacts other teams
• Scope change requested
• Technical risk identified
• Business rule conflict detected

This step is NOT optional - always validate before marking refinement complete.

Closing Reminders

• MUST break work into small todo tasks using TaskCreate BEFORE starting
• MUST search codebase for 3+ similar patterns before creating new code
• MUST cite file:line evidence for every claim (confidence >80% to act)
• MUST add a final review todo task to verify work quality